Used Bottling Lines

Choose a complete line around your production brief

A used bottling line is a connected production system. Its suitability depends on how container preparation, filling, closing, labelling and packaging work together on your product. Start with the production requirement, then compare the actual machines and connections offered.

For projects that also consider new equipment from European OEMs on request, explore our bottling lines guide to define the line scope, interfaces and acceptance requirements.

Define the beverage or liquid, whether it is still or carbonated, its filling temperature and any relevant processing requirements. Add bottle or can drawings, closure specifications, label details, pack patterns and required output for each format. These details turn a broad search for second-hand bottling equipment into a useful technical shortlist.

A compact rinser-filler-capper monoblock can form part of a line without including the downstream packaging section. Equally, a listing described as a complete line may have a particular boundary of supply. Confirm an itemised equipment list; the word “complete” alone does not establish which modules, conveyors, change parts or auxiliaries are included.

Find used bottling lines by container and product

• Used PET bottling lines: establish whether bottles are supplied from an included blow moulding system or arrive from separate equipment. Check preforms, bottle neck finish, moulds, closure and air requirements where blowing is included.
• Used glass bottling lines: define new or returnable bottles, bottle geometry and closure. The required container preparation, inspection and handling depend on the application.
• Used can filling lines: provide the can body and end specifications and review the installed filler and seamer configuration together. Confirm the downstream pack arrangement.

Use our application guides for water bottling lines, wine bottling lines, beer bottling lines and carbonated soft drink lines. The product name is a starting point: the documented process and installed formats determine whether a particular line fits your brief.

What is included in a complete bottling line?

Compare offers using the same scope. Depending on the configuration, a line may include container depalletising or feeding, blowing or washing, rinsing, filling, closing, inspection, labelling, coding, case or film packing, palletising and wrapping. Not every application needs every operation, and not every offer supplies them all.

• Container preparation, filling and closing: identify the preparation, filling and closing machines, their product applications and the formats installed.
• Labelling and packaging: specify the label system, pack pattern, carton or film format and any pallet-handling equipment.
• Connections: confirm conveyors, accumulation sections, transfer points, controls and interfaces between machines.
• Ancillary equipment: list pumps, tanks, compressed-air or cooling equipment and other services included in the offer.
• Documentation and tooling: record available manuals, electrical drawings, software information and change parts for each format.

Compare prices against an itemised supply scope. Identify the conveyors, tooling, utilities and integration work needed for your production brief, and record whether each item is included or quoted separately.

Compare line capacity on the same operating basis

A headline figure in bottles per hour does not describe every operating condition. Ask which product, container size, closure and pack format the quoted capacity refers to, and whether it is a nominal machine rating or measured production data.

The performance of the connected line depends on its limiting operation, transfers, accumulation and operating conditions. A fast filler cannot deliver its stated output through a downstream packer that cannot accept that flow. Compare the capacity of each section and ask how the machines were operated together.

For example, a target of 12,000 bottles per hour in six-bottle packs corresponds to 2,000 packs per hour before allowing for production losses. That arithmetic helps compare packaging capacity; it does not demonstrate that an offered line can sustain the target. Request evidence for the formats that matter to your business.

Record each section in its own capacity unit: liquid preparation or product treatment in litres per hour, filling in bottles or cans per hour, shrink wrapping in packs per minute, case equipment in cases per hour and pallet handling in the layers or pallets per hour specified for the machine. Convert these figures using the actual pack and pallet patterns. Also record the conditions and format behind each rating.

Review layout, utilities and format changes

Request the latest available layout and compare it with your building, access routes and maintenance space. Review conveyor heights, line direction, machine clearances and the positions of product connections. Equipment that operated successfully in one factory still requires assessment for a different site.

Ask for the documented electrical and utility requirements of the specific line: supply voltage and frequency, air flow and pressure, water, cooling and any thermal services. Confirm which services and auxiliaries are included and which must be provided at the destination.

Check each intended container and pack format across the whole process. A filler capable of handling your bottle does not establish that the rinser, capper, labeller and packer have the necessary format parts. List the tooling supplied, adaptations required and changeover work before agreeing the project scope.

Inspect the evidence behind the offer

Useful evidence includes machine nameplates, model and year, equipment lists, current photographs, condition information, available maintenance records and documented modifications. Where inspection or video testing is available, establish what can be checked and under which conditions.

A video of an empty-bottle run answers different questions from production with your beverage. Ask what product and formats were used, which modules were operating and which questions remain unresolved. Distinguish reported condition, work already completed and work proposed in the quotation.

Availability can change. Confirm the current status of the line, its location, the agreed inspection arrangements and collection constraints before planning a production transfer. Manufacturer names in the catalogue identify the documented equipment; they do not imply that every model or capacity is currently available.

Plan the installed project cost

Build a budget for the agreed supply and the work required to put it into operation. Depending on the project, this can include repairs, conversion parts, dismantling, loading, transport, export arrangements, site preparation, utilities, integration and commissioning.

Record inclusions and exclusions separately so that offers remain comparable. Define responsibilities, the dismantling sequence, identification of connections, packing requirements and the installation plan. A clear transfer scope helps buyers understand both the commercial offer and the route to production.

Build a configuration from sourced machines

A line project can start from a complete existing system or from individual machines sourced for the required operations. Elitekno can compose a line using market equipment, including machines available through consignment, and discuss a mixed configuration with new European OEM equipment on request. Selection starts with product, formats, capacity, site interfaces and budget.

Our technical consultancy reviews how the proposed units will work together and identifies the required connections, tooling and adaptation work. Keep an equipment schedule covering every section, the intended formats and the work included. This turns individual machine proposals into a defined line project.

Why discuss your line with Elitekno?

Elitekno is a second-generation Italian bottling equipment specialist with more than 40 years of experience and a 4,000 m² facility in Bovolone, Verona. We supply individual machines and complete lines to international buyers and review product, format, capacity, layout and utility requirements.

Our machinery services include sourcing and technical assessment, with inspections, condition reports or video tests when available. Dismantling, logistics, installation and start-up support can be requested and are quoted separately according to the project.

Complete machinery and line overhauls can be arranged to an agreed scope, followed by reassembly and commissioning activities specified for the project. The work schedule can include replacement parts, changes to the installed formats and technical support through our network. Define these activities for each machine alongside the installation plan.

For worldwide transport, we coordinate the applicable documentation, including CMR where relevant, and professional packing. Sea-container shipments can include moisture and corrosion precautions selected for the equipment and route. Packing, loading, transport and destination responsibilities are recorded in the quotation.

If a production change also releases equipment, Elitekno can discuss an on-site visit, machinery valuation, consignment and space solutions. Coordinate the outgoing equipment and the incoming line within the project schedule, with the service scope agreed around the factory’s needs.

Questions buyers ask about used bottling lines

Can a used bottling line handle several products?

It may be possible within the documented process and format limits. Compare product characteristics, filling requirements, cleaning arrangements and every machine in the line. A change of beverage may require more than a different operating recipe.

Are glass and PET bottling lines interchangeable?

Container handling, preparation, transfer systems and tooling can differ. Assess the proposed configuration against the intended bottle material, geometry and application to establish the equipment and adaptation work required.

Is dismantling or installation included?

The scope depends on the offer. Elitekno can provide project support for dismantling, logistics and installation on request. Confirm the work, responsibilities and separate charges in the quotation.

Should I buy a complete line or replace one machine?

If the existing system meets your needs except for one operation, assess a replacement unit and its interfaces. Explore used bottling machines for individual equipment. A complete line deserves consideration when your project requires a broader production system or a major change in product and format.

From a shortlisted line to an agreed transfer plan

A machinery visit can be arranged on request. Once the equipment and terms are agreed, the deposit reserves the line according to the order confirmation; the balance and subsequent stages follow the contract. Elitekno can coordinate dismantling, professional packing, loading and worldwide transport to the agreed scope.

Before each phase, we agree what our team will organise and what your team will provide. Unloading and installation are available on request at a separate cost, with site readiness and commissioning requirements defined before dispatch. See the machinery purchase and project support process, including spare parts and format support.

Request a used bottling line matched to your project

Send your product, container and closure specifications, formats, target output, pack configuration, factory layout, installation country, budget and intended production date. Include any line references you have shortlisted. Our team can discuss current availability, the technical information available and the next checks for your project.

Discuss your bottling line → Meet the Elitekno team